Why I Hate the New Visa Check Card Television Commercials
I hate these commercials. Why do I loathe them so much? It's simple; they take so much about what I despise about American consumer behavior and glorify it as if it is the best way to live. First of all, the customers are moving about the store as quickly as possible. Everyone is rushing around as if they are on an assembly line gathering their goods. If one person messes up, the entire system will be ruined. In the rush to get in and out, a customer "gums up the works" by paying with cash or a check. The other customers, and even the cashier, flash rude glances. The fact that not only is our society in fast forward so much of the time, but also that one person's time is more valuable than another's irks me to no end. These advertisements suggest that it is okay for both patrons and employees to berate anyone who dares to take a little longer to finish a transaction. Heaven forbid anyone has to wait in a line 23 seconds longer. The idea that faster is better is one that sits right in the front of American's brains.
The fact is, faster isn't always better. And every person's time is just as valuable as the next. Yes, I realize that this is just a silly commercial, marketed to those people that really do want to get in and out and on their way. I am not immune to frustration over a slow driver in the fast lane, or the aggravation of seeing that blinking light get flipped as I wait in line at the grocery. In the grand scheme of things, however, slowing down, calming down, and just letting things roll off our backs would make life so much easier. These Visa check card commercials are just the opposite of what I hope to teach and model to my children about how to live.
Published by Emily Harmon - Featured Contributor in Lifestyle
I am a happily married mom of a preschool aged boy and infant girl. I work full time in the education/library field and part time as a crafter/artisan. View profile
-
Chevy's Use of Stereotypes Makes for Bad Commercials
Use of stereotypes in commercials is nothing new. However, Chevy's use of stereotypes in their commercials are not only insulting. They're bad commercials.
- Watch the Best Christmas Commercials Ever Online: Part III The third and final installment of the series. Here are five more links to some of the best Christmas commercials ever.
- Most People Watched the Super Bowl with as Much Interest or More in the Commercials While many football fans across the country turned on the Super Bowl, it turns out the game isn't the only reason most people watch. Many watched as much for the commercials as the game.
- Links to Fake Coors Light Press Conference Commercials The Coors Light Press Conference Commercials are so beloved that many people have created parodies. Here are some of my favorite fake Coors Light commercials.
- Top 10 Memorable Super Bowl Commercials of the Decade During the past 10 years these commercials have gotten creative, political, funny, sexual, and some get media attention. Here are 10 of the most memorable Super Bowl Commercials of the decade.
- A Brief History of Popular Music in Television Commercials
- The Flip Side of TV Commercials
- Best Places to Purchase Visa Gift Cards for Christmas 2008
- Celebrities Who Are Spokespeople: Famous People in Television Commercials
- Top 8 Peyton Manning Commercials of All Time
- The Best Super Bowl Commercials of 2007
- Watch the Best Christmas Commercials Ever Online: Part I
|
|
20 Comments
Post a CommentFrankly the radio commercials are so bad that I can understand how serial killers are created. If I hear one more idiot commercial about using a Visa debit card at McDonalds, I will attempt to locate the creator of this abomination and stuff his windpipe full of big macs until his head explodes. For all you nits out there that need the sock puppet, this is hyperbole.
please take your business elsewhere. people who still write checks bother me and the world is a better place when you people stay at home
These commercials have been bugging me for months! It's so good to know others are bothered by it as well.
The latest commercial in the flower shop is the most infuriating. The music comes from the movie "Brasil", a black comedy about individuals who dream of freedom in a authoritarian/industrialized society. Being in the advertising industry, I can't imagine the creatives who developed this commercial haven't seen the movie... maybe they hate the message too and it's a joke the ding-dongs at Visa didn't get???? Ugh. Who knows...
Seeing this commericial makes me want to leave my debit card at home and take my checkbook. In fact thats exactly what i will do. IF the merchants dont like it, ill take my business elsewhere.
I actually kind of like the commericals, in that they unintentionally highlight exactly the points you make: how society has become so driven by the machinery of mass consumerism and shamelessly panders to corporate interests. Anyone who slows down in the slightest is an outcast, a defect that must be rubbed out. I think the commercial inadvertantly highlights this and offers a nice self-criticism to modern society and especially the holiday season.
This is a great article, I was wondering if anybody else out there also disliked these commercials. The undertone that you must conform with society really irks me
You just gotta love how Visa conveniently has only caucasians being the ones that pays in cash and holds up the line!
Oh, that's right, Visa is probably scared of angering Jesse or Al!
Enough of the "political correctness" already!
I hate the ads also. I tried to find a place to leave a comment on the visa web site but you can not finda a single place to do so. I have finally gotten so tired of the ads I had to say something.
They implication in the commercial is you're a nuisance if you use cash or check...well, gosh, why don't we just go forward to the conclusion this VISA add promotes... let's just inject an RFID chip in the wrist of each person at birth that has their ID with which they can get paid (bank account number) and buy (debit or charge card number). Then the banks can use the number to set up our bank accounts that can be controlled by a central overseer (government) and stores can install "speed pass" types of payment kiosks at their checkouts and fire all but one or two cashiers.
Oh! Excuse me for being too apocolyptic.
Well written article. Yes - it's a ridiculous ad. Can't think of too many commercials that I DO think are done well - but I've always enjoyed that "Brazil" music. Funny, and sad, that commercials don't have much in the way of original music anymore. Of course, we still need to keep in mind that ads are supposed to sell, sell, SELL! Guess we can always turn the channel or turn it off, eh?